Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A Victory Day for Ginbot 7 Movement

When I read the news of Woyane’s death sentence over Ginbot 7 leaders on the internet at 7:00 am this morning, I was so engulfed with anger by the sheer arrogant act of the Kangaroo TPLF court. After a few moments of reflection I found my self extremely energized by a new sense of commitment for freedom and a new set of thinking. As I continued to reflect, I thought of many millions of Ethiopians who would be struck by a similar outrage and who would make the same kind of decision to advance freedom.

That then led me to believe that, in fact, Ginbot 7 movement and all freedom lovers will be much better off with his decision than not. At that point, I wished I had the telephone numbers of Ginbot 7 leaders to call them and congratulate them for what they have achieved today and they are standing for.

Woyane’s death sentence over Dr. Birhanu and his Ginbot 7 colleagues, elevates them to the status of Icons of Freedom both in Ethiopia and internationally.

Today is the day that Dr. Birhanu and his colleagues should really feel very proud of than be depressed by the nonsense death sentence, as it is the moment that would galvanize Ethiopians around the cause of freedom, as it is the moment that proved that they are the true beloved sons and daughters of Ethiopia whose life is being sought by the enemy. Today is also the day that millions of Ethiopians will flock en masse into the embracing arms of Ginbot 7 movement to further strengthen the struggle to force the TPLF ethnic dictators down and usher democracy in Ethiopia for good. They should also be proud today because today is the day millions of Ethiopians both at home and in the Diaspora will express their outrage over Woyane’s move to intimidate and silence opposition.

I am aware the lives of the heroes of the army and others who have also been sentenced to death and to life in prison in TPLF’s dungeons is at Woyane’s disposal, and I feel the immediate agony that their loved ones, families and friends are going through at this moment. But these heroes knew that the fight for freedom involved sacrifices, and they never expressed fear during all the fake trial they were subjected to. They knew they would be martyrs if they died for the cause they fought for.

I am not a member of Ginbot 7, but just a freedom lover who would love to give credit where credit is due.

Dear Ethiopians, let us celebrate Ginbot 7’s victory and build the movement by all our means. Let us expose the tyranny of the TPLF by all means we have.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Who Rules Ethiopia?

According to Peter Heinlin of VOA Zenawi was angry that Ambassador Douglas Griffiths of the US acknowledged in front of the UN Human Rights Council members in Geneva that senior government positions were held by one ethnic group in Ethiopia ie Tigrayans. This truthful statement sent the foul mouthed dictator ranting and raving and calling Ambassador Griffths an idiot. So why did Meles go ballistic at Ambassador Griffiths’ statements?

A couple of months ago Ginbot 7 had exposed Tigrayan domination (58 out of 62) of the top positions in the so called Ethiopian Defense Forces which made it look more like a Tigrayan Force rather than a national force. Imagine if the top brass of the US military was exclusively composed of only Irish, Germans or Italians. Totally unthinkable right! But in a multi-ethnic society such as Ethiopia a minority ( 6%) ethnic group rules over a diverse population of 80 million at the barrel of a gun. The charade is exposed and the little dictator is mad as hell. By denying these charges and attacking the American envoy Meles is hoping that this story will not have any traction and wants to discourage others from ever raising this sensitive issue.

Sure, there are the token ethnic underlings such as Girma Birru ( Oromo) Addisu Legesse (Amhara) Teshome Toga (Wolayta) and a sprinkling of others with permanent positions within the tribal regime. The problem is having a sprinkling of Oromo and Amhara ( two groups that constitute 70% of the population) here and there does not give good cover at all. Meles has used these affirmative action quota positions to hood wink the donor community that under his 18 years of tribal reign Ethiopia has become a nirvana for ‘nations and nationalities.” While much of Africa has tried to shake off tribalism after independence, Meles, the poster child for the tribal ruler, has enshrined it in his constitution complete with tribal id cards Ethiopians are forced to carry.

Again a couple of months ago Ginbot 7 had exposed the total domination of the Ethiopian economy by the Tigrai People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) the ruling party in Ethiopia with some 66 companies under EFFORT e basically controlling all the strategic sectors of the economy. Sebhat Nega, the founder of TPLF and ex-Chairman of EFFORT confirmed in his VOA-Amharic program interview that indeed was true. The rest of the economy is controlled by the Saudi tycoon Al-Amoudi and other TPLF underlings. Meles as the head of government and as the head of his party has a choke hold on the economy to steal as much as he can and launder the money to his personal accounts overseas making the Tigrayan ruling elite fabulously wealthy. The donors belatedly are realizing that they are really enabling this obscene corruption taking place in Ethiopia. Meles knows this and is getting extremely nervous that the genie is out of the bottle. While he is willing to do anything for his paymasters, they on the other hand seem to belatedly realize the moral hazard of turning a blind eye to Zenawi’s excesses. In a nut shell, that is why the foul mouthed thug is ranting and raving against his paymaster’s envoy. If he loses their support he loses everything, for it will not take a day for Ethiopians to evict him from his squatter house – Menelik Palace.

It has really been a bad couple of weeks, bad press for Meles and that is why he is foaming at the mouth.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Prof. Mesfin, kill the enemy! Not people’s aspiration for democracy in Ethiopia!!!

It is so painful to see Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam’s recent actions in derailing and disrupting the activities of UDJ and his playing into the hands of the TPLF thugs, as we notice the celebration and the fanning of his actions in the Aigaforum and other pro-TPLF websites.

I am not a fan of UDJ, nor do I approve UDJ’s move to challenge the TPLF in the upcoming fake 2010 elections in Ethiopia, although I am convinced that it would have become a credible alternative, with all its weaknesses, if there was an iota of space for free political competition in the country.

From my short membership experience in the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), the Professor founded, I had a vivid opportunity to learn about Prof. Mesfin’s attitude towards power, although he always tried to claim that he is not a power seeker. Besides failing to put term limits to the position of the chairpersonship (which was assumed through regular election) of the organization in EHRCO’s constitution, he continuously kept the chairpersonship for himself, only alternating it with Prof. Andargachew, whom he crowned himself, sometimes in his absence.

Worst still, hidden behind the thick black lens of his glass, he was always infuriated whenever his opinion and position was challenged by a daring member, to the extent of ordering a background investigation on this daring member.

That was when I began to question the integrity of Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam as a genuine democrat and a leader, and his contradicting personality. How could he demand for a term-limit of a Prime Minister, that bestows more power and prestige, when he is not prepared to limit the terms of a chairperson in such a miniscule organization like EHRCO? How could he be an advocate of human rights, when he can not stand a person who used his right to freely express his opinion and who chose to ask a critical question in the organization he chaired? Despite these negative experiences, I gave him the benefits of a doubt, when he left EHRCO to join the Rainbow Coalition for Democracy, that later paved the way for the CUD.

From my observation, since his loss of prestige from the Ethiopian people, following the split of CUD, and his inability to be the king maker, what Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam has been doing since the TPLF-rigged 2005 election, is playing a destructive rather than a constructive role in Ethiopian politics and his fighting strategy has been wrongly directed at the opposition than on the dictatorial and the minority incumbent TPLF.

Professor Mesfin was hell bent on derailing the CUD, since he left the coalition early during its infancy, he was hell bent to kill Ginbot 7 movement, when the organization emerged as a credible alternative to the TPLF dictators, and he is now hell bent to kill UDJ, and gone in to the gutter to physically fight members of the party. Isn’t it amazing and contradictory when a person who professes about the rule of law takes the law into his own hands? And he does all this nonsense in front of the TPLF cameramen, which they are using for cheap propaganda.

The learned Professor Mesfin knows very well that there is no rule of law in Ethiopia that protects citizens from unlawful treatment, and is using that as an opportunity to promote hooliganism to attain his objective. If Prof. Mesfin is too much concerned about Birtukan Mideksa’s position being undermined in the UDJ, why blame members of the UDJ, who are victims themselves, than challenging the TPLF, by calling a peaceful rally in the TPLF corridors asking for her unconditional release, so that she is freed to reassert herself in her party? On the contrary, Prof. Mesfin has confirmed to the TPLF sympathisers that, even after his recent actions, he will not leave UDJ alone, but will continue to derail it and fight it.

Under what circumstances and conditions are such destructive actions of Prof. Mesfin justifiable and acceptable? And for how long should he be tolerated? As to me, he should be condemned and be told to refrain from acting similarly in the future. He should apologize to the Ethiopian people and leave the political scene. Other wise, he will not escape judgment on D-day!